‘West Side Story’ Remake a Possibility as Steven Spielberg Eyes Next Project

We're not entirely sure why Steven Spielberg, arguably the most famous and beloved filmmaker of all time, is currently looking into remaking 'West Side Story' as his next project, but who are we to argue with The Beard?

The news comes via Deadline, but there are few hard facts to print at the moment. Here's what we know: Spielberg has expressed interest in remaking the classic 1961 musical and 20th Century Fox has made the rights available to him should he decide to officially pursue the project. And that's it. No script, no producers and nothing concrete. It's just one of the most powerful men in Hollywood pondering what to make next while the world looks on.

While the Deadline delves deep into the current studio politics surrounding Fox, Spielberg and DreamWorks, most movie fans will probably only care about the news that the man who made 'Jaws' is interested in tackling a musical. Let's rephrase that: he's interested in tackling one of the most beloved musicals of all time despite there already being a definitive version that won 10 Academy Awards and is still watched and referenced to this day. If it was anyone other than Spielberg, we'd cry foul, but 'Lincoln' proved that he's still very much at the top of his game and that we should have a little faith that this is a project he'd pursue because he has a good reason.

'West Side Story' is, of course, an update of William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' that moves the action to New York City and follows a young couple who fall for each other despite being affiliated with rival gangs. It's great, and if you haven't seen it, you should fix that. We imagine Spielberg would do justice to the material, but he's too much of a genius to work on a remake. Are there any talented songwriters want to write an original musical for one of the most talented guys in Hollywood?